What would be more terrifying? A child being on the streets or in jail?

(Anonymous at January 24, 2017 12:08 pm)

Being in an enclosed space behind bars would be terrifying, particularly with the knowledge that ’legitimate’ people have put you there and, ultimately, have a lot more control over the situation and you. Being on the streets in a war zone would be just as frightening because of the threat of imminent death of both you and your family members. No child should be in either of these scenarios.

(Anna, UK at January 24, 2017 12:09 pm)

It is not good because children also have their rights

(Tusubira (Uganda) at January 24, 2017 3:43 pm)

I imagine that would depend on the child and the crimes. Some may pose an ongoing danger. But as a casual response, no.

(Lettice at January 26, 2017 9:37 am)

In particular for kids, prisoning is an inefficient cruel system,punishment is not the solution to stop or reducing crimes.

(Fra at January 26, 2017 11:04 am)

streets are better because you are free to look for food, in jail you are limited and cant always eat

(Brian Uganda at January 26, 2017 11:14 am)

yes, Tusubira children have got their rights but not rights to crime

(jimmy uganda at January 26, 2017 12:07 pm)

Lettice i like your no but all crimes and jail pose ongoing dangers.

(jimmy uganda at January 26, 2017 12:14 pm)

I think harsh conditions prompt someone to commit crime. So there is nothing like right to do crime but putting the children in jail exposes them to harsh conditions which makes them develop bad feeling resulting to making crime when they leave Jail. So if you ask me to choose between Jail and street, I would say Street.

(Sam (Uganda) at January 26, 2017 12:18 pm)

No Brian, streets have never been batter at all because one has to battle to look for food while jail is the worst and home is the best.

(jimmy uganda at January 26, 2017 12:18 pm)

For prison to help rehabilitate children convicted of serious crimes, there must be both care as well as punishment. Punitive prison alone is not effective

(Will S at January 26, 2017 12:22 pm)

I think prison is good a good rehabilitation for children

(Juma(Uganda) at January 26, 2017 12:30 pm)

Can children really change into good people after being taken to jail and if so should we recommend more jails instead of rehabilitation centres or school?

(STEVE (UG) at January 26, 2017 12:30 pm)

I think rehabilitation calls for good behavioral change how does jail prove this to children

(Odeke(Kenya) at January 26, 2017 12:40 pm)

I think it is necessary to distinguish older children from younger children because in some cases older children are more conscious of their behaviours. However, in general, rehabilitation houses are the best way to deal with children who committed crimes. I think organisations play a central role in ruling these houses, because children feel loved, a feature that would lack in jails.

(Irene at January 26, 2017 12:48 pm)

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(mgdxc at January 26, 2017 12:57 pm)

Deinfe a child… but absolutely not! Or at least not the sort of prisons we have.

(Carol UK at January 26, 2017 12:58 pm)

streets and jails are both terrible scenarios for children. I think every child deserves the right to be safe, protected and loved.

(Grazia at January 26, 2017 5:32 pm)

We need miracles of grace for the kids,would have a lot of prayer for them, no punishment is a mistake too, rehabilitation more

(LittleFlower at January 26, 2017 5:33 pm)

We would like to think rehabilitating offenders would be the core of prisons.

It depends on the severtiy of the crime, small things like theft of food or small goods then no there should be help given for them. But for murder yes.

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Posted by Mark UK (Questions: 0, Answers: 2258)

Answered on January 26, 2017 12:42 pm

First define children. In medical terms. Is someone legally competant? Are they responsible for themselves? A general age is 14. Can there be a juvinille system i.e. in between jail and a home?

(Leigh UK at January 26, 2017 12:44 pm)

What if an 8 year old murdered someone?

(Sharon Uganda at January 26, 2017 12:56 pm)

If they choose to do it by themselves then yes. If they are being made to do it then the person making them do it is to blame and the 8 year old should be taken and offered help

(Mark UK at January 26, 2017 12:57 pm)

An 8 year old is not responsible.

(ali uganda at January 26, 2017 1:00 pm)

As long as its clear murder they need to be taken somewhere secure

(Leigh UK at January 26, 2017 1:00 pm)

Hello Mark. A child committing a murder case is rare. But may be to thing about it, getting an option to murder someone means he/she has been exposed to very harsh conditions. So the one who exposed that child to such conditions is the one who should go to Jail.

I think that certain crimes deserve punishment. However, jail should be seen as one of the most severe punishments and should fit the crime. In this sense, I do not think that homelessness deserves to be punished at all – instead children should be offered support to help them get off the street and build their own life. However, if a child would commit an actual crime – such as being violent and hurting others – I believe that jail might be a reasonable punishment if, and only if, the jail offers rehabilitation programs and the people working with and guarding the prisoners are not abusing their power. Punishment is only effective if it provides the option to redeem oneself. Everyone, particularly at a young age, deserves second chances.

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Posted by Anne (Questions: 0, Answers: 2258)

Answered on January 26, 2017 9:24 am

If they commit a crime they should be arrested but if they are just idle or homeless they should not. They should work with organisations to get them back home not to jail.

(ali uganda at January 26, 2017 11:30 am)

No, because children have their simple punishments but not jail.

(jimmy (uganda) at January 26, 2017 11:41 am)

No, cause jail is one of the institutions that may spoil the children more.

(Emma (uganda) at January 26, 2017 11:44 am)

Parents its your responsibility to advise your children to reduce crimes but not taking them to jail.

(jimmy (uganda) at January 26, 2017 11:49 am)

Yes Jimmy, i agree with you because jail is not the best alternative for punishing children.

(Emma (uganda) at January 26, 2017 11:54 am)

No brother Ali, the Ugandan law does not permit arrest of children below 18yrs, children need to be guided but not arrested and put to jail, however, the time they spend in jail is wasted for their future.

(Emma (uganda) at January 26, 2017 12:02 pm)

What is the best talking to the child or taking him to jail

(Joseph(Uganda) at January 26, 2017 12:15 pm)

I think they should be punished for their actions not jail. they are still learning children.

(Sharon Uganda at January 26, 2017 12:18 pm)

Totally agree imprisonment as a punishment for homelessness is akin to trying to solve the problem of golf balls by stamping on them

(Will S at January 26, 2017 12:25 pm)

Great point Jimmy.

(isaac(Uganda) at January 26, 2017 12:26 pm)

Hi Anne, your idea of second chance is so fair and loving, but i disagree with you of jail being a reasonable punishment for children cause they don’t know what they do at times and jail can’t be the only institution for rehabilitation more than rehabilitation homes.

(Emma (uganda) at January 26, 2017 12:28 pm)

it depends on what you define by ”kids”. There is an age where ”kids” legally become ”adults”, responsible for their actions

I think the best option would be if there were facilities to rehabilitate children. It would be important to have them divided between pre-teens and teenagers. Otherwise fostercare would be a better option.

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Posted by Tarek (Lebanon) (Questions: 0, Answers: 2258)

Answered on January 26, 2017 9:13 am

it depends on a child’s age and what crime has he committed

(phillip kasiba at January 26, 2017 11:20 am)

Its true that children commit crimes but its not good to take them to jail, advise them appropriately and use the right proceedure and iam sure they will stop or avoid committing crimes.

(Seguja Brian at January 26, 2017 11:25 am)

Me as a child i think they should just cane us if we have committed big crimes but not to take us to jail

(joseph(uganda) at January 26, 2017 11:30 am)

They should just advise us on the right behavior expected of us than taking us to jail becuase jail is bad because there is lots of abuse and hard labor.

(Brian(uganda) at January 26, 2017 11:38 am)

Is caning really the answer Joseph? Does being hit make you behave better?

(Emma UK at January 26, 2017 11:43 am)

for me I would rather be cained then being taken to jail

(kawere ali at January 26, 2017 12:04 pm)

I wouldnt change my behaviour from being hit. I am the one to choose to change.

(Bashir Uganda at January 26, 2017 12:07 pm)

I think being caned always make children more disobedient or submissive because of fear. neither Jail Nor caning is a solution. I don’t why people think that Discipline means punishment

(Bashir Uganda at January 26, 2017 12:29 pm)

hi Tarek, that sounds the best idea since many of these children luck guidance and counseling, love, advise, care, support and protection from the parents and this calls for foster families.

(jimmy uganda at January 26, 2017 12:39 pm)

Hi Joseph, to me i think caning is not the best way to go, and if you cane the child and he or she continues committing big crimes, what next?

I don’t think that children (those under 18) should be put in jail, they should rather be put into a facility focusing on rehabilitation and education.

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Posted by victoria (south Africa) (Questions: 0, Answers: 2258)

Answered on January 25, 2017 7:43 pm

Isnt that facility just a different type of jail? Would they be allowed to move in and out freely?

(Sarah (Canada) at January 25, 2017 7:56 pm)

Child protection refers to systems and structures that prevent and respond to violence, exploitation and abuse against children – including commercial sexual exploitation, child imprisoning, trafficking, child labour and harmful traditional practices, such as female genital mutilation/cutting and child marriage. Despite the legal framework, the situation for child protection in our area is still desirable. We is lacking a comprehensive and effective child protection system that is functional at all levels. children’s rights continue to be extremely abused through Night beating and Jailing . They continue to leave in conditions characterized by inadequate access to health services, biting poverty in homes, increased pupil dropout rates leading to low completion rates and unacceptably high cases of child abuse and neglect which undermines the four cardinal rights of a child to survival, development, protection and participation.

(Mike Uganda at January 26, 2017 8:27 am)

Cant jails be places of rehabiliation and not just of punishment? Could we vision a nice jail?

(Damma at January 26, 2017 11:27 am)

I think they should take us to organisations helping street connected children than taking us to jail, we feel loved and cared for because some of these organisations like SALVE international help us so much. They teqch us good ways to behave as children.

(Mukisa(Uganda) at January 26, 2017 11:48 am)

To me, jail can not be a place to rehabilitate children because the word jail as soon as some one pronounces it, what comes into my mind, its suffering. this means that children dare not to learn through torture and mistreatment but instead have to be treated well and counselled as well as being guided on what to do.

(STEVE (UG) at January 26, 2017 11:57 am)

May God bless you Victoria,i wish we have many people who have ideas like u.

(ALFRED(Uganda) at January 26, 2017 12:06 pm)

There is nothing in the name of jail that can be good to someone especially children. because it means putting people together under some tight supervision and that would lower the creativity of children.

(Sam Uganda at January 26, 2017 12:09 pm)

I agree that children should be taken to rehabilitation homes rather than prison they can get an education

(kawere ali at January 26, 2017 12:23 pm)

Depends on age. 1-3 grounding is enough. 4-6 grounding and taking away pleasures for a certain time. 7-10 a serious talk, grounding and taking away pleasures.Teenagers are tricky, depends what they have done, but no prison.

(Sharon Uganda at January 26, 2017 12:30 pm)

Thank you Victoria for that great idea. I think even helping the parents understand how to hep their children will help very much and be more sustainable than any other method

(Sam (Uganda) at January 26, 2017 12:31 pm)

There is helping parents but there is also a man called attitude and mind that has to change in them too before they accept.

(Adams(Uganda) at January 26, 2017 12:38 pm)

You’re right Adams. Attitude change is the Mr driver of this

(Sam (Uganda) at January 26, 2017 1:04 pm)

Children need someone who will love them&support them. Punishment doesn’t solve the problem.

I think it depends on the kind of crimes they committed and on their age. if they committed a very bad crime, they should be punished. however, they should be imprisoned separately from the adults and recreative activities are needed to help them reintegrate in the society

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Posted by Anonymous (Questions: 0, Answers: 2258)

Answered on January 22, 2017 10:33 am

No children are also like other people it is not good for them they need a lot of care then putting them in jail

(Mariam (Uganda) at January 24, 2017 3:45 pm)

Crime is a crime, but there are alternative measures to prison…

(Grazia Paoleri at January 25, 2017 7:52 pm)

Such as which alternatives please?

(Damma at January 26, 2017 11:28 am)

No child is to be arrested into prisons but instead they need to be guided on how to do things and to behave in a given society. there isnt any kind of discipline instilled in the children but its the responsibility of every parent to properly parent the child so as to come up with some one responsible in future

(Anonymous at January 26, 2017 11:48 am)

You are right when u think about looking at the age and the degree or magnitude of the crime

Jail is no place for a child. As adults we are here to help and support them; however far off the rails they have gone, it is our job to put them back on track. As children they have much to learn, so do they not deserve a second chance more than anyone? First and foremost we must understand the reasons for the crime – was it desperation? A cry for help? Or not understanding the difference between right and wrong? Whatever the answer, it is up to adults to help to provide it in an environment that doesn’t damage the child further.

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Posted by Helen, UK (Questions: 0, Answers: 2258)

Answered on January 15, 2017 11:53 pm

What if they killed your husband? Or raped your daughter? Or made your house be on fire? Would you still give them a second chance if they had bad behaviors like this?

(Dennis Uganda at January 16, 2017 6:21 pm)

jail teaches them even more bad behaviours.

(mariam uganda at January 21, 2017 7:19 pm)

No children only need to be counseled because putting them in jail causes no change forexample a child may leave jail and do the same they are used to so children need to be just given advice.

(Faith (Uganda) at January 24, 2017 3:47 pm)

Its not good for children to be taken to jail because this distorts the future of that child in that whatever thing that he or she does in his or her life, chances are that the child is taken to prison because it was exposed to him so the child is used to it hence him becoming a criminal

(Frank Fakale at January 26, 2017 12:02 pm)

Wow wow wow. You have spoken my mind Helen. I didnt know you’re a social worker. I also think that listening (paying attention to the verbals and non verbals) to children would help especially if we put emphasis on finding out why the behavior and acting to resolve the why other than the child. Adults have a very big role to play here. they should know

These street children do a lot of crime and bad acts to communities. We need to put them in jail so they learn right behaviours. Without jail they just grow up thugs.

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Posted by Beatrice UG (Questions: 0, Answers: 2258)

Answered on January 15, 2017 3:03 pm

Does jail change the children? Are they really helped there? You seem to be stereotyping quite a lot about street kids.

(Pam USA at January 21, 2017 7:21 pm)

Young children are not supposed to face such harsh conditions as it iritates them as they grow

(Milo Uganda at January 26, 2017 11:12 am)

going to jail does not help improve children’s behaviour. not all street children are thugs

(kawere ali at January 26, 2017 11:52 am)

Beatrice, it is not a good idea. Not every child on the street commits crimes, actually the community should change their attitudes towards street children.

(Mukisa Brian at January 26, 2017 11:56 am)

Beatrice its not true that putting these children who are on streets into jail can make them grow responsible but the community has to guide them on what to do because two wrongs can not make one right. The children therefore are to be given time to also express their views, ideas and concerns because these are the leaders of tomorrow who should not be maginalised

A child has less knowledge and experience. We should send them to school not to jail.

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Posted by Debbie UK (Questions: 0, Answers: 2258)

Answered on January 6, 2017 9:31 pm

I agree to you we can change them through teaching good things .. .. and when a child send to jail … Jail can teach them somethings?

(jr at January 12, 2017 11:17 am)

Being in an enclosed space behind bars would be terrifying, particularly with the knowledge that ’legitimate’ people have put you there and, ultimately, have a lot more control over the situation and you. Being on the streets in a war zone would be just as frightening because of the threat of imminent death of both you and your family members. No child should be in either of these scenarios.

(Anna UK at January 15, 2017 3:00 pm)

No children are people who need to stay with their parents

(Ajiko (Uganda) at January 24, 2017 3:48 pm)

I agree that children should be taken to school so they can learn good behaviours

(kawere ali at January 26, 2017 11:42 am)

Debbie, i agree with u, you have a better alternative and solution. Taking them to school should be taken as a priority.

(Mukisa Brian at January 26, 2017 12:02 pm)

Its true Debbie we need to take children to schools instead of prisons but we need to be the first teachers in our homes for proper parenting in that before this child is taken to school, its atleast some one who understands issues. this is only done if we listened to them or given chance to also express themselves

(Waiswa jackson(ug) at January 26, 2017 12:17 pm)

There is no learning and understanding in jail

(Richard(Uganda) at January 26, 2017 12:22 pm)

Great understanding Debbie. They have a lot of good things they should learn from us adults and not Jail where they learn from peers and no adult is there for them to follow

Of course they should. Age doesnt excuse you from doing crime. If you do something wrong you have to pay for it.

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Posted by Darren USA (Questions: 0, Answers: 2258)

Answered on January 3, 2017 6:43 pm

Doesnt it depend on the crime commited? And what about the family circumstances of the child? For example a child living on the streets might steal to get something to eat which while is wrong is more understandable than a child from home stealing who has enough to eat

(DJ Ug at January 9, 2017 9:21 am)

Homelessness shoul not be a crime. If a child has a loving support network, food, shelter and is happy, then I doubt they would choose the streets. It should be a crime that governments don’t do more about it

(Anna UK at January 15, 2017 3:01 pm)

Yes in order to make them reform it is very fine they should be put into jail such that they can reform to better life

(Tiff (Uganda) at January 24, 2017 3:50 pm)

Darren, what payments do you think should be given to children who commit crimes?

(joseph(uganda) at January 26, 2017 11:59 am)

for same crimes its better to talk about why it was wrong and to apologise

(kawere ali at January 26, 2017 12:11 pm)

How do they reform when in jail there all sorts of bad behaviours that children adopt from there…

(ken(New york) at January 26, 2017 12:20 pm)

Childien need to be counselled but not be taken to jail

(Frank Fakale at January 26, 2017 12:23 pm)

Hey Darren. I think payment is okay. But remember some of these children have no adult to model their life and so they never got chance to be taught what is right and wrong. So what they focus on is just how to survive. I think teaching them how to treat others would be a fair way forward and not taking them to Jail. They know less to be made to pay

Sometimes parents are to blame for all the behaviors of their children so in case they miss out on talking to them they end up failing to handle their children’s situations and behaviours however jail is not the best option for a child punishment